


You are my sunshine

by StarlightArmy28



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: A little bit of violence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Apologies also happen, Hurt/Comfort, Lee Felix (Stray Kids)-centric, M/M, Multi, Sick Felix, There's some crying too, additional tags will be added throughout, but like for a few seconds, protective Stray Kids, title may change idk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2019-12-18 10:26:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18247949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightArmy28/pseuds/StarlightArmy28
Summary: Just a bunch of Felix-centric stories based off of your requests....that's about it.





	1. Guidelines

**Author's Note:**

> I know that I have two other stories going but I kind of hit a writer's block with those, so this is where I'm at now. 
> 
> Also, have you seen Stray Kids comeback with Miroh?!? afskgdhriasnfgk we love talenttttt.
> 
> Anywho, now that that's finished, this chapter is just some info regarding requests and all that jazz.

Hey friends, this is something that I have been wanting to do for a while and have just never gotten to (like everything else in my life imagine that), and I am beyond excited to write your requests. 

 

So without further ado, a few **guidelines** if I may:

 **1.** Please  _do not_ request smut/anything sexual because I am too awkward of a person to attempt that and I don't think any of us would want to see the end product (trust me, it'd be real rough). 

 **2.** These are Felix-centric and any pairing, whether it be platonic or romantic, is cool with me (although Changlix and Aussie line are what I'm best at). 

 **3.** I'm open to most AU's but I will warn you that I am not the most educated on certain things so....if you would like to play it safe, think along the lines of like college, fantasy, etc. 

 **4.** Just put in the comments your pairing and request and I will try my best to write something that you'll like!

 

That's about it from me, my update schedule as always might be a little wonky, but these for the most part shouldn't take too long. 


	2. The New Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “College AU with Felix being the new foreign kid and the rest of Stray Kids is in love with him because he’s so adorable.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wonderful story was requested by @velvetstar.
> 
> I went the OT9 route with this one because, let's face it, everyone needs a bit of Felix in their lives. 
> 
> Thank you for giving me my first request by the way, I hope you'll like what I've written!
> 
> Enjoy!

Of course he slept through his alarm on the first day of classes; how else was he supposed to start what his mother called his "new and exciting journey in Korea". 

 _Yeah, because apparently being a foreigner who barely has a conversational grasp of the language and knows no one in the country is new and exciting._ He thought to himself bitterly.

Contrasting to his mother's overflowing optimism, Felix's luck had actually been sour the moment he made the decision to leave Australia for a college in Korea famous for its dance program. Not only had he been a mess in planning for his trip, his flight had also been delayed, leaving him to arrive in the new country in the middle of the night. His trek around the area was quite terrifying considering he had no idea where he was going and was too insecure about his Korean to ask for directions, and what should have been about an hour and a half drive from the airport ended up taking two and a half. Unfortunately, he had made the mistake to feel relieved once he reached the dorms, his mind full of hope that his roommate would be nice enough to help him move in (a great opportunity to make a friend as well), only to find that said roommate didn’t exist as he had been placed in a room suited for one person. This left an exhausted and frustrated Felix to drag all of his luggage up the stairs by himself, fumbling with the key to his door and dropping a few boxes in his struggle.

So yeah, sour luck might be an understatement.

Despite his personal series of unfortunate events, Felix had tried his best not to let it get to him, anticipating what his first day would bring him. Well, his jet lag and jacked up sleep schedule decided to work against him in the end, leading him to his current situation of running as fast as his legs could carry him across campus to reach his class. 

He wasn't even able to at least make himself presentable, having to settle on a ripped pair of black jeans, an oversized grey hoodie, and red beanie to cover his unstyled hair.

 _Perfect, I still have 2 minutes._ Felix sighed in relief as the building the lecture hall was located in came into his field of view.

Maybe he still had a chance after all.

* * *

“This is ridiculous.” Minho muttered, dropping his bag next to a chair and flopping unceremoniously into the seat. “I don’t need this class to graduate, so why should I even be here? I could have had a day without classes.”

“It’s for the sake of upholding our group’s eternal friendship, and besides, we all knew you’d double up on dance if you had an open day so don’t act like you’re sacrificing anything to be here.” Hyunjin responded a bit too cheerfully as he clapped Minho on the back with a tight-lipped smile.

“If anyone is sacrificing anything, it’s Chan-hyung and Woojin-hyung. Both have already taken this class.” Seungmin supplied helpfully, sending a sharp glare towards the dancer.

“Calm down Seungminnie, you’re starting to act like Bin when he hasn’t had enough sleep.” Woojin teased, ruffling the younger’s hair albeit his protests.

“Which is like every day. I swear, the only person who sleeps less than him is Chan-hyung.” Jisung said, glancing at the Australian who by now was on his third cup of coffee.

“Shut up.” Changbin drawled, lifting his head out of his arms to shoot a scowl at the younger.

"Wow, calm down hyung, the bags under your eyes really bring out the fury in your glare. Although your height takes away from the intended effects." Jeongin, the youngest, said between giggles, Seungmin’s face brightening considerably as he tried (and failed) to hold back his own laughter.

“Alright kids, that’s enough. It’s only the first day of classes and you’re all already going at each other’s throats.” Chan turned to playfully scold his friends.

The eight boys had been friends for a while, each of them having been acquainted with another at some point before all coming together in high school. Their group was comprised of seniors Woojin, Chan, and Minho, Juniors Changbin and Hyunjin, Sophomores Jisung and Seungmin, and Freshman Jeongin.

Currently, they were all situated in some extra lecture offered to all students regardless of age, using the class to stay close with Chan, Woojin, and Minho during their last year.

“Come on guys, wouldn’t it be great if we all had a class together? It would make it easier for all of us to hang out afterwards too, and it’ll give us a chance to spend time with Chan, Woojin, and Minho hyungs before they leave us for the real world.” Jisung and Hyunjin had tried to convince the rest of their friends, the latter employing his puppy eyes and the former puffing up his cheeks in a pout.

“You guys are just using us as an excuse to slack off. It’s not like we’re disappearing after we graduate, we just won’t see you during classes anymore.” Minho had scoffed at their idea, knowing full well that they were going to use the two oldest to help them with their homework.

“I don’t see why not. It’ll also be a good way to ease Jeongin in for his first year at uni.” Woojin had easily agreed as did Chan who could never say no to his friends.

And so, here they were, all bickering at 11 in the morning while waiting for the professor to arrive.

“I’m serious, this is-” Minho began again but was interrupted by the door bursting open behind him, a rather out of breath (and extremely attractive) boy rushing in.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but mind if I sit here?” The boy asked Chan in slightly accented Korean, gesturing towards the empty seat next to him.

“Of course.” He replied sweetly, head tilting in curiosity, “Mind if I ask where you’re from?”

The rest of the boys could only stare as the new kid chewed his lip, his brows furrowing as he seemed to try and piece the syllables together.

“Ah, I’m from Australia.” He replied. “My name is Lee Felix by the way.”

“Hey, Chan-hyung is from Australia too! What are the odds of….wow.” Jeongin’s exclamation morphed into one of awe as Felix turned to the youngest with sparkling eyes, a smile playing on his lips.

“Really?” He asked hopefully, directing his attention back to Chan.

“He’s telling the truth mate.” Chan responded in English for added effect.

The relief that flooded Felix’s eyes paired with the way they crinkled as a lighthearted grin now grace his features caused eight hearts to flutter at once, leaving the group of boys speechless.

“So, uh,” Minho of all people being the first to compose himself stuttered, “Why don’t you eat lunch with us after class?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

* * *

After the day they had met the young Aussie (who happened to be a sophomore like Jisung and Seungmin), the eight boys easily grew attached to him, Felix seeming to fill in the missing piece of the puzzle that was their group.

Now, they went on with their days as per usual, steadily falling in love with their new friend as he showcased his overflowing talents and wonderful personality.

It seemed that Minho and Hyunjin were the first to fall completely, as what was supposed to be a simple dance project turned out to be “fate providing them with the love of their lives” (as Hyunjin so dramatically put it). 

“Alright everyone, as you know, I like to have a showcase at the beginning of the year where we are not only introducing everyone’s style of dance, but also observing how well each of you are able to work with one another despite those stylistic differences.” The instructor began, following up with more information about the project.

They were required to get into trios and create a choreography to a song of their choice, having to overcome the obstacle of agreeing on a song that suits each member’s dance.

Hyunjin, Minho, and Felix decided to work together, the former two excited to be able to witness the Australian’s talent firsthand. It was no secret that Felix was good, and the two would later find out that the reason he transferred to Korea was because he was offered a scholarship by the university’s dance program.

“Wow, so you must be crazy good, huh?” Hyunjin inquired as they made their way to a practice studio to work on their choreography for the first time. 

“I wouldn’t say that....” Felix trailed off, chewing his lip as he blushed at the compliment.

Once they arrived at the studio Minho suggested that they each dance a bit to show the other two their ‘style’ as the instructor had earlier put it. Minho’s movements were smooth, his transition from one step to the next in perfect coordination with the rhythm of the music, his years of experience evident in the confidence he exuded while showing his skills. Hyunjin on the other hand was sharp, each of his moves were graceful yet precise as his facial features combined with his dance spoke more than words ever could.

Now that it was Felix’s turn, Hyunjin and Minho would be lying if they were to say they weren’t excitedly anticipating what they were going to be presented with.

As the music began, Felix’s faced suddenly morphed to match the song, his passion becoming apparent through his strong moves, each step resonating a fierceness the other two had never seen before. 

He looked absolutely stunning as his sweaty fringe stuck to his forehead, his eyes illuminated with such devotion and intensity and his face glowing. He was in his element, and it was as if nothing could break his focus on what he was doing. However, the moment he finished, he flopped onto the floor, spreading his limbs out like a starfish and breathing heavily.

“I haven’t had a chance to freestyle like that in a long time. Guess I got a bit carried away.” He chuckled sheepishly, the smile never leaving his face.

And at that moment, Lee Minho and Hwang Hyunjin fell in love with Lee Felix.

* * *

 Changbin sighed for the umpteenth time that afternoon, checking his phone in frustration as he awaited a call or text giving some explanation as to why Jisung was late for their recording session.

“He’s dead meat the second he walks through that door-“ 

“Binnie-hyung, guess who I brought!” Jisung sing songed as he threw open the recording studio’s door, interrupting Changbin’s murderous muttering.

Following behind the squirrel-like boy was Felix, the Aussie shyly entering the room and chewing his lip.

“I’m sorry to be a bother. Jisung told me you guys were rappers and offered to let me sit in on a recording session.” He began quietly, obviously intimidated by the older’s glare that had settled on Jisung. “I can leave if you want me to.”

Realizing Felix’s misunderstanding, Changbin quickly ceased his glaring and smiled at the younger, shaking his head. “You’re not a bother at all, take a seat wherever you’d like.”

“Hyung, Felix is a rapper too!” Jisung blurted excitedly, causing Changbin’s eyes to widen in surprise.

“Oh, no um, I’m not actually a rapper like you guys but I do mess around with it every once in a while.” Felix said, face flushing from the attention.

“That’s still really cool! Can you rap some for us?” Jisung, once again, failed to use his filter, impulsively putting the young Australian on the spot.

“Are you sure? I’m not that good....” Felix was about to protest, but seemed to change his mind after seeing the hopeful look on the other two boys’ faces. “Alright, if you really want me to.”

Changbin’s heart fluttered in excitement (a strange feeling considering how ‘cold’ everyone expected him to be) and he turned on some music, giving Felix time to analyze the beat.

The moment he opened his mouth, Jisung and Changbin were star struck by the smoothness of his rap, the way the words flew from his lips as if this wasn’t freestyle and he’d practiced it a thousand times. His voice-don’t even get them started on his **voice** \- it was dripping with honey yet held a fire that made whoever was listening immediately turn their attention to its source. 

Once he finished, he looked expectantly at the other two, waiting for their thoughts.

“Wow.” Was all Jisung could manage to get out, his usual rambling cut off as his mind was still in awe by what he had just witnessed. 

“You’re flow is incredible and your message was meaningful and straight to the point. Not that good? Felix, you’re amazing.” Changbin remarked before he could think to stop himself.

Realizing what he had just said and noticing the faint shade of pink that spread across Felix’s freckles, Changbin cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair nervously and turning to his laptop. “Actually, we’d really like to hear your input on some of the music we’ve produced and are always open to suggestions. Right Jisung? Jisung?”

Said boy startled at Changbin’s question, nodding rapidly as he snapped out of his awestruck state.

“Of course hyung, I’m always happy to help.” Felix accepted the offer, pulling a chair up between Changbin and Jisung. 

For the first time, the babbling squirrel was lost for words and the cold-hearted rapper felt himself melt. 

They were in love.

* * *

“At this point, I think I’m just going to accept failure and drop out.” Jeongin whined, dropping his head to the desk and earning several “shh’s” from the other students in the library in return.

“Jeongin you’re only a freshman, it’s too early for you to consider dropping out. Besides, you’re being overdramatic, your English isn’t that bad.” Seungmin comforted the younger, patting his shoulder sympathetically.

The two were currently attempting to study for their English classes, Jeongin struggling a bit more than he’d like to admit. 

“But hyung, if I can barely speak Korean, what makes you think English will be any easier to learn?” Jeongin mumbled from where his face was pressed against the table.

A quiet chuckle was heard behind the two, and upon further inspection, they realized it was Felix who had promised to join them. 

“Hyung!” Jeongin and Seungmin exclaimed, once again being hushed by other students. “Please help us.”

“Of course, although I’m sure you both are doing just fine.” Felix laughed at their antics, pulling a seat out and looking over their assignments.

As he tutored them, the two were enamored by his voice and accent (the only other time they were able to hear English being the rare moments when Chan and Jisung decided to speak it) and made sure to pay careful attention to every detail.

“W-what are you going.” Jeongin stumble over his words, squinting as he tried to make out the letters.

Before Felix could correct his mistake though, Seungmin jumped in, explaining that it was ‘Where’ instead of ‘What’. 

“Wow Seungminnie, you never told me you were so good at English.” Felix complimented, causing the younger to blush from the combination of the praise and nickname.

“What about me hyung?” Jeongin pouted, and Felix ruffled his hair in response.

“You are too Jeonginnie, and your pronunciation is so cute.” He said. 

Jeongin went bright red, eyes wide and pout immediately disappearing from his face.

 _Cute. Cute. Felix just called me cute._ He thought dreamily, mind running wild at what had just happened.

Meanwhile, Seungmin was still looking down and blushing, reveling in the praise he had received from the Aussie previously. _He thinks I’m good at English._

“Uh, guys?” Felix questioned, waving a hand in front of the other’s faces yet earning no response.

This was when the two youngest fell for Felix.

* * *

Felix trudged to the dorms, eyes downcast and hands shoved haphazardly into his pockets as he sighed.

 _Why can’t I be good enough? Despite how long I’ve been here, my Korean is still lacking. Is there something wrong with me?_ He wondered idly as he pushed opened the door to the building the rooms were in, feeling frustrated tears prick at his eyes.

Days like these really made him homesick, bringing up the same doubts and fear he had originally faced before coming to Korea. If he had only stayed in Australia, he wouldn’t have had to face the stress of adapting to the new lifestyle and the pressure of learning a new language in such a short amount of time.

 _But I also wouldn’t have met the other boys._ He thought sadly, now upset at himself over regretting the decision that allowed him to meet such amazing people that he’s grown to cherish.

Before Felix could beat himself up any further, he collided with another warm body, strong hands steadying him as he quickly looked up, ready to apologize.

“Felix?” It was Woojin. 

“Are you alright?” Chan.

Felix felt the tears in his eyes threaten to spill once again, his breath becoming hitched as a lump in his throat formed.

“I-I-“ He attempted to explain, but by this point, he knew that if he said anything he would risk bursting into tears in front of the other students in the lobby.

Chan and Woojin took notice of the state the boy was in and ushered him towards their shared room, gently sitting him down on the bed as the oldest sat next to him and placed a comforting arm around his shoulders.

Chan crouched down in front of Felix, settling a hand on his knee and giving a reassuring squeeze as he asked him what was wrong.

“I just-“ He began, shutting his eyes as a few tears slipped out. “I’ve had a rough day and I feel so lost. I’m trying my hardest to be good enough but I feel like I keep failing.”

Finally, Felix broke down, letting out a sob as Chan quickly got up and took a seat on the other side of him, pulling him into his chest as Woojin rubbed soothing circles on his back. Felix explained everything that was troubling him, his overwhelming homesickness and insecurities about his ability to fit into the new country while the two oldest boys listened, providing comfort whenever it became too much.

“Felix?” Said boy lifted his eyes to meet Woojin’s gaze once he finished crying, remaining plastered against Chan’s chest as the older Aussie hugged him close. “Please don’t ever feel that you aren’t good enough. It hurts us to see you struggling like this because we know how amazing, talented, and intelligent you are. You’re such a wonderful person, so please don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re doing just fine.”

Felix could feel Chan’s chest rumble as he hummed in agreement. “Just know that whenever you feel this way, you can always come to Woojin and I. You’re not alone.”

At that moment, Chan and Woojin realized that they would do anything to protect their sunshine from such sadness as the mere prospect of seeing him in pain tore their hearts apart. 

At that moment, Chan and Woojin knew that, like the other boys, they were genuinely and utterly in love.

And at that moment, Felix realized that he loved every single one of them in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response I've gotten so far with these requests is more than I could have imagined, and I'm so excited to write all of your great ideas.
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you have a cool rest of your day/afternoon/night!
> 
> As always, requests and kudos are appreciated. 
> 
> ~StarlightArmy28 ^_^


	3. Language barrier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Non-au where Felix is having a really hard day with Korean, an interviewer slightly makes fun of him for it, and all the others comforted him about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by @kpoplover101.
> 
> I really loved the idea behind this one, and I was excited to see what I could do with it! 
> 
> I hope you like what I’ve written :)
> 
> Enjoy!

Felix knew that the moment he woke up, the day ahead of him was going to be rough.

“Chop chop Felix, don’t forget that we have a radio interview today!” Chan had spoken rather quickly but with a smile nonetheless, rushing around the dorms and trying to help wake those who decided that getting out of bed was too difficult.

 _What on earth did he just say._ Felix wondered idly to himself, shaking his head and blaming his confusion at the language on his half-awake state. 

Stumbling out of bed and yawning, Felix bumped into Hyunjin who had murmured something in return, the younger assuming he was talking to himself considering how what he was saying sounded like total gibberish.

“Felix?” Hyunjin inquired, looking at the boy expectantly as if waiting for some sort of answer to an unasked question. 

“Yes hyung?” Felix asked in confusion, his voice deep and gravelly from just waking up.

“I asked if could borrow one of your hoodies to wear to the interview? Since we just have practice afterwards, I didn’t want to dress up too much.” Hyunjin repeated himself and wow. That was a lot of words. “Felix, are you okay?”

“Okay? Ah, yeah I am, my Korean’s just a bit jumbled today. You said hoodie?” At the older dancer’s nod, Felix gave a smile. “Of course hyung.”

Still seeming to be slightly concerned about the young Australian, Hyunjin thanked him, taking a mental note to keep an eye on him for the rest of the day.

* * *

“Once again, it is great to have all of you here as fans from all over have sent in several questions.” The radio host resumed the interview after ‘Miroh’ finished playing. “A popular one seems to be regarding Felix.”

Felix gulped, feeling sweat gathering on his brow as he awaited his question. So far, the interview had gone well as he remained quiet for a majority of it, able to pick up bits and pieces of the conversation occurring around him. Now that he was being placed in the center of attention, he felt himself become nervous, putting in even more of an effort than normal to try and understand what was being asked of him. 

“How have you been growing as a person and an artist since Stray Kids’ debut? Do you think that the memories of your elimination have pushed you to get to where you are now?” 

At this point in time, Felix wished that he wasn’t able to understand the question, the bluntness of it striking a chord in him that brought up old insecurities. The rest of the members obviously became tense with where the discussion was headed as well, as they knew it was a touchy subject that Felix often liked to avoid.

It took Felix a second to piece his response together, but he eventually explained how as a person, he believed he’s adapted decently well to Korea, getting homesick every once in a while but grateful for the opportunities he’s been given nonetheless. During his description of his growth in dancing, rapping, and performing, however, he stumbled over his words a bit, providing a quick apology and finishing up his answer to the question. While he knew that his mistake wasn’t that major, he still felt a sense of shame, wondering why today of all days had to be one where his grasp on the language became loose. 

“I guess mentioning the old days caught you off guard, huh? Seems like you still struggle with the language despite adapting “well” to the country. It’s alright though, we can’t all grow in everything we lack. It takes longer for some people to progress.” The interviewer laughed it off, blissfully unaware of how her response affected those around her. “Alright, my next question is for Seungmin.”

Despite knowing that the interview had to continue regardless of the attitude of the radio host, the rest of the members were fuming, each of them biting their tongue to prevent themselves from cursing out the young woman for her blatant lack of respect. Minho and Chan were obviously having a more difficult time in controlling themselves despite their usual calm demeanors, the former understanding the pain of mentioning the elimination and the latter knowing how it felt to be ridiculed for not knowing the language perfectly. 

Felix vaguely registered Jeongin’s hand slipping into his underneath the table, giving a light squeeze as Woojin mouthed a “calm down” to Chan and Minho, the two close to saying something. However, Felix’s mind was foggy, his vision just as blurry as tears pricked his eyes.

_She’s right. I’ve been here long enough, so I should know the language by now. Was it really a good idea to bring me back to the group?_

* * *

 

The moment the interview ended, Chan had made sure to immediately alert their manager to what was said about Felix, the man furrowing his brow and sharing some words with the lady who ended up apologizing for her behavior.

“She didn’t really mean it, people like her never do. All they care about is-“ Minho gritted out bitterly, earning himself a soft nudge from Hyunjin who whispered something in his ear, presumably to calm him down.

“Just forget about what she said, Felix. She had no idea what she was talking about.” Jisung reassured his friend, sticking himself to the Aussie’s side as they walked to the vans, eyes filled with concern as he knew how hard the boy could be on himself.

Felix smiled half-heartedly, too doubtful in his understanding of what Jisung had said to try and respond. 

He climbed into the back seat of one of the van’s once they reached them, hearing what he could only assume was a quick “see you in a few” from the members going in the other vehicle. Resting his head against the window, he shut his eyes, feeling someone sit next to him and rest their hand on his thigh, drawing patterns into his jeans. Peeking an eye open, he saw that it was Changbin, the rapper looking at him with sympathy.

While he appreciated the comfort, he couldn’t help but feel like they were pitying him, a voice in the back of his head telling him that the reason they were so protective over him was because they agreed with the sentiment that his Korean was lacking.

As a result, Felix chose not to speak much during practice, an unusual behavior that didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the members, and went through the moves blankly, perfecting each of them but lacking the passion and intensity necessary for the song.

 _Oh look at that, another thing I can’t do right. If I could understand what Minho was saying when he explained the feeling of the dance, maybe I could actually do it correctly_. He chided, promising himself that once he returned to the dorms, he would spend all night studying Korean.

Contrary to his plans however, the minute they walked through the door of their dorm, the members sat him down in the living room.

 _Perfect, more Korean._ He huffed, massaging his temple as he felt a headache coming on.

Instead of the language he was expecting to hear, Felix’s ears were met with the familiarity of his native tongue, a warm Australian accent wrapping around syllables that he could comprehend without hesitation.

“Today’s situation should never have happened in the first place, and I’m so sorry that I let it get to that. We just want to let you know that making a mistake isn’t the end of the world. You’re human just like the rest of us, so stop being so hard on yourself.” Chan said, hoping that Felix understood the meaning behind his gentle reprimand. “As for your difficulties with processing Korean today, I’ve been in your shoes before. Learning another language isn’t easy, and the fact that you’re practically fluent already is an accomplishment in and of itself.”

“He’s right. We’ve also been stressed lately because of the comeback so it’s easy to get overwhelmed when being faced with everything at once.” Jisung supplied helpfully, surprising Felix as it wasn’t often the rapper spoke in English.

“Thanks guys, it really means a lot to me.” He said in English before switching to Korean. “All of you I mean, thank you. I know that it shouldn’t bother me this much, and I guess it just got to me easier because of how tired I am.”

“Tired?” Jeongin started, but suddenly shook his head, determination filling his eyes as he attempted to speak in English. “You s-sleep before food.”

“I agree!” Seungmin jumped in in English as well, Felix’s mood brightening considerably at the member’s effort at making him feel better.

“They’re right Felix, go ahead and sleep a bit before dinner, we’ll wake you when we eat.” Chan advised, to which Felix gladly accepted.

“Food is chicken!” Felix heard Woojin shout triumphantly in English as he made his way to his room, chuckling as Changbin tried to explain that it wasn’t “food” but “dinner”.

As he got comfortable under the covers, Felix noticed a faint sliver of light spread across the floor as someone entered the room, feeling the bed dip beside him as said person decided to join him for his nap. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Minho, the other dancer throwing an arm across Felix’s waist and pulling him close.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Minho asked quietly, and for the first time that day, he didn’t have to think about what was said before answering.

“Thanks to all of you, I am.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to the amount of requests I’ve gotten already (which is amazing btw), I might not get each chapter out as quick as I’d like because I want to make sure that they’re the best they can be. Don’t worry though! I’m not super behind, I’m just saying that depending on what I do with the idea, some chapters will take longer than others.
> 
> As always though, requests and kudos are greatly appreciated.
> 
> ~StarlightArmy28 ^_^


	4. Save me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Can you make a chapter where Felix gets beaten up on the streets and his members come and help him?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by @incognito.
> 
> Anything for you my friend! I actually got a burst of inspiration to write this at around 1am, so please excuse any errors.
> 
> Anywho, I hope I’ve written what you wanted to see!
> 
> Enjoy!

“Are you one hundred percent sure you’ll be okay?” Chan and Woojin questioned for what seemed like the thousandth time.

“Yes mom, yes dad, I’ll be just fine. I’m pretty sure my taekwondo skills aren’t too rusty, they should be able to keep me safe enough.” Felix answered exasperatedly, snickering slightly at the almost comically concerned faces of the two as they processed his comment about his taekwondo.

“Alright, but make sure to call us if at any point you feel unsafe.” Chan sighed, motioning to his phone and making a point of setting its volume on the loudest setting.

“Or if you get too scared.” Changbin mocked, earning a playful glare from Felix as the older rapper laughed with Jisung and Hyunjin seated next to him.

“I’m going! I’ll let you know when I get back to the dorm.” Felix called out, bracing himself for the cold air as he left the studio.

He had made the offer to walk back to the dorm alone after Chan wanted someone to go check on the two youngest who weren’t answering their phones.

“Minho is there with them though, why are you so bent out of shape over it?” Jisung had questioned the leader, looking up from his phone after hearing Felix volunteer to leave. 

“That’s what we’re worried about.” Woojin had answered instead. “You know how he can get when he’s tired. Jeongin and Seungmin also seemed to be in a mischievous mood today, so the fact that we haven’t heard from them is a bit disconcerting.”

Jisung shuddered at the thought, knowing quite well the wrath of an exhausted Minho.

“You’re going to get someone to drive you though, right Felix?” Hyunjin piped up from beside Jisung.

“No, the van is for you guys when you’re ready to come back. I’ve wanted to get some fresh air for a while anyways, so I’m happy to walk.” He responded, leading to the whole conversation that occurred shortly before he left.

Felix smiled and chuckled lightly at the memory of his hyungs’ overprotectiveness, shaking his head as he made his way down the empty streets. It was surprisingly bare tonight, _probably because of how cold it is,_ he mused, burying his face deeper into the collar of his jacket as the wind began to pick up.

For a while, he walked quietly, enjoying the peaceful silence of the night and reveling in the fresh (albeit chilly) air that surrounded him. However, he crinkled his nose, a voice in the back of his head telling him that he was forgetting something. 

_My water bottle!_ He remembered after a beat, shoulders slumping as he realized his mistake. _I’m already almost to the dorm, I don’t want to have to walk back and get it. I’ll just call Chan._

As he pulled out his phone, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, a creeping feeling that someone was watching beginning to surface from the back of his mind.

_Calm down Felix, it’s all in your head._ He told himself, fumbling with the device as his hands shook from the combination of the cold and fear.

Felix jumped as he heard what sounded like footsteps quickly nearing him, making to turn around and check if someone really was following him. Catching a glimpse of a dark jacket, he rapidly turned back around, heart pounding in his chest as he prepared to defend himself.

Before he could even react, Felix felt himself being pushed into an alleyway, heard the loud crack of his skull against the bricks of the wall he was slammed against. 

“Look at this punk.” The unknown offender slurred, his hand wrapped around Felix’s neck managing to effectively pin him against the wall. By this point, the boy could smell the alcohol in his breath. “Thinks he’s so cool.”

Felix vaguely heard another man snickering from behind the first, the ringing in his ears becoming steadily louder as he realized what was happening.

“I wouldn’t mess with him if I were you kid, just take the punches like a man, yeah?” Another man said, alerting Felix to the fact that he was unfairly outnumbered 3 to 1. 

“Please, sto-“ The Aussie began his attempt to negotiate but was cut off by a hard slap to the face, his cheek stinging from the force of the impact. 

“What a little bitch.” The man said as he squeezed Felix’s neck slightly, cutting off his airway for a few seconds, before plunging his fist into his stomach.

Felix crumbled to the ground, the combination of the chokehold and air suddenly being forced out of his lungs after being punched causing him to gasp desperately for the oxygen he lacked. However, the man didn’t seem to care for letting him catch his breath as he kicked Felix in the ribs, bringing a booted foot down onto one of his hands and crushing it into the pavement. 

The man’s friends seemed to want to join in on the ‘fun’ as well at this point, and Felix curled into the fetal position once his hand was released from under the offender’s foot, kicks and punches seeming to rain down from all sides.

In his half-conscious state, Felix vaguely remembered that he had been about to call Chan (about the water bottle he left in the studio) before he was mugged.

_Did I press call?_

He wondered hazily, his vision darkening around the edges with every blow he received. Tears sprung to his eyes despite how quickly he knew he was fading, and Felix had to hold back a sob at the idea that he was facing this situation utterly helpless and _alone._

A particularly hard kick, however, managed to pull the cry out of him as he clutched his side, squeezing his eyes shut at the prospect of the assault moving elsewhere now that his head and face were exposed. The pain he was preparing himself for never came though, and instead, Felix felt a soft pair of hands cradling his face, his head being brought into what he could only assume was someone’s lap, focusing on the soothing voice of the newcomer against the array of others that were shouting and cursing. 

“Felix? Come on buddy, open your eyes. That’s it mate, look at me. You’re alright, you’re safe. I’ve got you.” Chan’s gentle yet concerned English filled Felix’s ears, his vision being greeted by the older Aussie’s anxious face. 

Glancing to the side after blinking away his blurred vision, Felix could make out Changbin, Jisung, and Woojin backing the 3 men up against the wall, countering Felix’s earlier assault with one of their own. Various bruises now adorned the men’s faces, arms, and legs, and Woojin was being held back by Changbin and Jisung, his normally calm face contorted into one of rage as he shouted curses at them. 

“Do you take some sort of sick pleasure in beating up teenagers?! What is wrong with you, you scum!” The eldest yelled angrily.

“Hyung, they’ve had enough. Cowards like them can throw the punches, but they sure as hell can’t take them.” Changbin said venomously, spitting at the men’s feet.

“Felix?” Chan questioned worriedly as he guided Felix to face him once again. “Are you alright?” 

Felix could only shake his head as he felt the tears pour down his cheeks, throwing himself into Chan’s chest and letting out a broken sob.

“Shhh, I’ve got you baby, it’s alright. We’re here now, no one is going to hurt you anymore.” The older Australian whispered, hugging him close.

“Hyung! I let the manager know what happened and he called the police saying that he would take over from here. We should get home quickly....” Hyunjin trailed off breathlessly as he had just caught up to the rest of them, taking in the sight of the younger covered in injuries as he cried. “Those bastards.”

Before Hyunjin could launch his own attack against the offenders, he was stopped by a warning glance from Chan.

“Not now Hyunjin, Felix is our biggest priority.” He said authoritatively, his voice softening as the boy in his arms flinched. “I understand that you’re angry, trust me we all are, but there’s not much we can do. Now, could you help me carry him?”

Hyunjin nodded, still obviously upset from not being able to protect his friend, but approached Chan nonetheless, aiding him in hoisting Felix onto the older’s back to be piggybacked the rest of the way to the dorms.

* * *

 

“Felix!? What happened, are you okay?!” Jeongin wailed, rushing to the door with an anxious Seungmin trailing close behind him.

Hyunjin held the door open, Woojin and Jisung herding the youngest members away from the passageway so as to make easier access for Chan who had an unconscious Felix slumped across his back, Changbin resting a hand on the injured boy to support him.

“What’s with all of the noise?” Minho implored grumpily, his drowsy state suddenly disappearing as he became aware of the situation. “Felix?”

By this point in time, Chan had begun making his way to the bathroom, setting Felix on the edge of the tub to clean and patch his wounds. Changbin aided in the process, comforting the boy who had now awoken and was grimacing in pain as each scrape was disinfected.

“Hyung?” The maknae was standing by the bathroom door with Seungmin and Woojin, eyes teary as he watched Felix go through such immense discomfort. “What happened to him?”

“He had offered to walk back here from the studio alone to check up on the three of you and at some point had gotten attacked by three drunk guys.” Woojin explained, hands curling into fists at the mere mention of the offenders. “He called Chan right as it happened and we heard them shouting at him over the phone.”

“Hearing him being beaten without being able to do anything was torture. W-“ Jisung began getting choked up, breathing heavily as the emotions overwhelmed him. “What if we weren’t able to get to him in time?”

Jeongin had started to cry, Woojin hugging the youngest close, Seungmin whispering how it was their fault as Hyunjin attempted to calm a furious Minho who wanted to beat the men himself.

“But we did get to him in time, and that’s all that matters.” Chan reminded them  gently as he finished with Felix, Changbin silently helping him stand the boy up. “Let’s just all take a breath. We can’t change what happened, but we can make sure it never happens again.”

After getting the boy cleaned and changed, the rest of the night was a blur as the members stuck themselves to Felix’s side, an executive decision being made at some point to have everyone sleep in the living room. A pile of blankets and pillows was arranged on the floor with Felix in the middle, the two youngest snuggling up closest to him on one side while Changbin took his place on the other, the rest of the members situating themselves near him as well.

“Felix?” Jeongin had whispered once he was sure that almost everyone had fallen asleep. “Are you awake?”

Upon hearing a deep hum of confirmation, Jeongin pressed himself into the older’s side, “I’m so sorry.” 

“Innie, please don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault.” Felix opened his eyes, looking at the maknae who had begun to sniffle. “I made the decision to go alone despite knowing the risks. Regardless of what happened this evening, I’m alright now. Especially because of how much better you’ve made me feel.”

And Felix wasn’t lying as he eased the younger’s conscience, feeling the shock from his attack wearing off as he was surrounded by the people he felt safest around.

“I’ll always make sure to protect you, hyung.” Jeongin murmured as Felix’s words effectively calmed him down and lulled him into a peaceful sleep, his grip around the Australian’s arm tightening.

“I know,” Felix whispered softly, eyes scanning over his group as he began to feel sleep take hold of him as well. “and I’m forever grateful for that.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Maybe my habit of updating between the hours of 2am and 4am isn’t healthy.” I tell myself while writing this at 1:46 in the morning, still fully awake.
> 
> Anywho, as always, requests and kudos are greatly appreciated.
> 
> ~StarlightArmy28 ^_^


	5. Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Could you do one where Felix loses his voice and the members have to take care of him?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by @SisterStan.
> 
> I’m sorry that it’s so late, but I hope I’ve done your idea justice!
> 
> Enjoy!

“Cut! Great work everyone, thank you for your cooperation!” The music video director called out, taking off his headphones.

The members of Stray Kids quickly thanked the crew, gathering their things to depart for the next portion of their schedules.

“You, Woojin, Changbin, Jeongin, and Felix will be going to the studio to get some recording done, and the rest will be headed to work on choreography, is that correct?” Their manager confirmed with Chan, the leader nodding his head in response, attention obviously focused elsewhere. “Alright, just make sure not to overdo it. Since your comeback date is coming closer, we can’t afford any setbacks.”

At the leader’s distracted “I understand”, their manager furrowed his brows, not expecting the reaction. He wasn’t normally this blunt with them, and he was hoping that his little quip would’ve been countered by a witty remark by Chan to effectively lighten the mood. Yet he didn’t let the lack of response worry him too greatly as he knew that they were all stressed by the comeback of ‘Miroh’ which was looming closer with every passing second.

Felix, on the other hand, found the older Australian’s distant behavior slightly concerning, knowing that the older would most likely fail to take care of himself properly in favor of prioritizing the new album, making sure that everything came out perfectly.

_I’ll have to keep an eye on him._ Felix promised himself with a new sense of determination _. I’ll do my best to listen to everything he says so he’ll stop stressing so much._

“Felix?” Changbin pulled said boy away from his thoughts, thoroughly amused by his actions. “What are you doing?”

“What?” He questioned, only then realizing the comical way he had contorted his face when that new ‘determination’ set in, his head nodding involuntarily at his vow to cooperate. However, instead of admitting to his embarrassment, Felix did what any normal person would do and chose to avoid the situation altogether. “I have no idea what you’re talking about hyung.”

Hearing the rapper snort beside him, Felix grinned as he entered one of the vehicles, taking a seat next to Jeongin in the back in the middle while Changbin settled himself on his other side.

_Perfect._ Felix thought as he watched the two oldest in front of him. _Woojin should be able to calm him down._

“Hyung, why are you nodding?” Jeongin spoke from one side, gazing at him in confusion while Changbin began laughing from the other.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He deflected once again.

_Wow, real smooth Felix._

* * *

Alright, so maybe Felix’s previous pledge to cooperate with everything Chan asked of him without complaining wasn’t the best idea, but hey, he sure was holding to it.

“Great job Felix, but I think we should redo the beginning again, maybe emphasize a bit more where I noted.” Chan requested, the younger having no choice but to oblige.

He cleared his throat, wincing at how raw it had become after having been asked to redo parts that were vocally straining multiple times, this particular album holding its fair share of parts that required a deeper tone. At this point, he was worried that he wouldn’t have much of a voice left to keep up with their rigorous preparations, making a mental note to try and take care of it as much as he could.

“Ready?” Chan called impatiently. “Yes.” Felix answered, swiftly taking a swig of water before giving a thumbs up to start the music.

As he finished up recording, Chan’s features had become relaxed, a small smile forming on his lips.

"That was absolutely perfect Felix. You killed it, mate.” He praised the younger Australian as he exited the booth, Woojin taking his place in front of the microphone.

“Thanks hyung.” He replied, his voice noticeably weaker and more gravelly than before, but Chan didn’t notice as he had already begun to work with Woojin.

Felix coughed a bit, grimacing at the feeling as he sat down next to Changbin on the couch, the older failing to acknowledge him as he slumped over his notebook, mouthing lyrics and scribbling furiously. Yawning, Felix let his head fall back, ready to close his eyes to doze for a few minutes before joining the others to work on choreography.

"Oh, Lix, do you think you could help me?" Changbin requested, causing Felix's head to snap up. "You all good there?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm great. What do need hyung?"

At the rapper's sudden concern, Felix's eyes widened at the state of his voice, grabbing his water bottle and taking a long drink. 

"Are you sure you're alright?" Changbin questioned, watching the younger wearily as he attempted to nod reassuringly.

As they worked through Changbin's lyrics and ideas, Felix couldn't blame the rapper's constant apprehension whenever he spoke. Heck, if he were in his shoes, he would probably be just as worried. The usual smoothness of his voice had practically disappeared, his vocal chords sounding as if he had swallowed a handful of rocks, and his already deep tone had lowered considerably, resulting in him having to make more of an effort to be heard clearly. However, if the rapper wanted to comment on it, he didn't (to which Felix was immensely thankful for) and instead had resorted to asking yes or no questions that didn't require the younger to answer verbally.

The rest of the recording went on as such, Felix resting his voice while Woojin and Jeongin finished singing their parts, Chan eventually looking at the clock on his phone and making the decision to head to dance practice (which also passed uneventfully). Only when they returned to the dorms, each of the members retiring to their rooms for the night after washing up, did Felix decide to survey the damage of his voice. He stood in front of the bathroom mirror, mouth opened wide and phone flashlight illuminating his throat. The scene probably would have been comical if it hadn't been for the angry red Felix was met with as he got a proper look into his mouth. Sighing, he set down his phone, coughing a bit before attempting a quiet hum. At the lack of sound, Felix felt his heart drop, panic rising in his chest.

_Nonononono, this is not the time to be losing my voice._ He thought to himself anxiously, running a hand through his hair before exiting the bathroom.  _I'll just sleep it off, it'll be fine in the morning. Right?_

Oh how wrong Felix was.

* * *

“Morning lixie!" Jisung greeted cheerfully from the dining table beside Minho who sent him a deadly glare, grumbling drowsily about something along the lines of 'squirrels that were way too chipper for 5 in the morning', to which Jisung pointedly ignored. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, you?" Felix responded, or wanted to respond anyway, mouth forming the syllables but no sound other than a raspy whisper following.

"What?" Hyunjin asked, eyes moving from his phone to the Australian who stood there, dumbfounded.

"I-I....why...." Felix tried to speak, coughing harshly at the effort, his throat raw with pain.

By now, all eyes were on him, Seungmin being the first to speak up.

"Did you lose your voice hyung?"

_Oh no._

* * *

“He what?" A staff member demanded in frustration, stress clearly written all over his face.

"Felix lost his voice after having strained it during the recording session yesterday. It was my fault for being so careless at the time, so I will take full responsibility." Chan explained the situation as Felix shrunk behind him, head bowed in shame.

After that morning's fiasco (which was quite chaotic to say the least, the members worrying over him nonstop while Chan continuously apologized, blaming himself for the entire ordeal), a decision was made that someone would always be present at Felix's side during the day's schedule, serving as his temporary voice while making sure he was comfortable.

"Even so, he should have known better and taken the proper measures to prevent this from happening. You do realize how major of a setback this is? A whole day of recording has gone down the drain because of his immaturity-"

"That's enough. Other than recording, Felix's lack of a voice won't affect the progress with the music video or choreography. Everything has already been settled, so we would appreciate it if you could continue as normally with the other members without scolding Felix." Their manager had come to the boy’s rescue, noticing how the rest of the members had become defensive, wanting to prevent the conflict from getting out of hand.

Felix gave a grateful, half-hearted smile to the older man who patted his shoulder supportively.

”Let’s not be too hard on ourselves, yeah? All you can do is be sure to give it your all today.” He consoled, leaving to make a call.

”I’m so sorry Felix. I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard yesterday.” Chan apologized for the millionth time that morning, eyes downcast. “I’m a terrible hyung.” 

At that statement, Felix shook his head vehemently, momentarily forgetting about his predicament as he tried to stop the leader’s self-loathing, only to be brought back to reality by a particularly painful coughing fit.

”Shh, don’t strain yourself Felix.” Woojin walked over to the younger, handing him a water bottle and rubbing his back, sending a pointed look towards Chan. “Channie knows that you would never blame him. Isn’t that right Chan?”

Chan nodded guiltily, eyes still on the floor as the members around him couldn’t help but snicker at the rare sight of the leader being lectured by the oldest.

”Alright, let’s quit all this moping and get to work! I didn’t wake up at 5am for nothing!” Hyunjin clapped, hoping to lighten the mood.

Everyone else sounded their agreement (aside from Felix of course), and prepared to shoot for their comeback music video, heading to the stylist noonas. Felix sat down with his bottle of water, taking small sips from it every once in a while to soothe his throat and giving the noona styling his hair a small smile in appreciation after she praised him for taking great care of it (most likely to make him feel better after his previous scolding). Despite her sweetness however, she seemed to go a bit heavy on the hairspray, the air becoming suffocating as she sprayed copious amounts around him. Felix did his best to endure it, covering his nose with his sleeve and holding back his coughs, but realized that it might have been getting too out of hand when his eyes began to tear up.

”Noona, let Felix come up for air! Please!” Minho suddenly was at the boy’s sighed, pouting at the stylist as she widened her eyes upon the realization of her carelessness.

”I’m so sorry Felix! I forgot that you can’t let me know if it’s too much.” She rapidly apologized, to which Felix shook his head for who knows how many times that day (really, he was going to get whiplash at this point).

”All better?” Minho asked playfully, knocking the boy on the shoulder affectionately before returning to his seat and taking out his phone.

_They weren’t kidding when they decided to help me, huh?_

* * *

So far, the day had gone quite well despite Felix’s loss of his voice, the earlier predicament seeming to serve as an advantage in the end. As they recorded the music video, he felt that he was able to focus more on perfecting his image and movements, making sure he always held the right facial expression and captured the mood of the scene they were shooting.

The same could also be said for their current dance practice, Felix feeling as if he could pay more mind to the way the team moved as a whole. He was so excited by this prospect that during one of their breaks, he typed it out on his phone to Hyunjin, showing the older while bouncing on his feet energetically.

”Has all of this really changed since you lost your voice?” Hyunjin asked teasingly. “Maybe you should just stop talking during practice from now on then. It’ll give you chance to save your voice too.”

Felix opened his mouth in retaliation, closing it immediately once he remembered he couldn’t speak, instead taking to scowling at the older boy and attempting to kick his feet. Hyunjin laughed at the antics, dodging each attack playfully and running to hide behind Seungmin and Jeongin, the latter giggling along while the former rolled his eyes.

”Why must I always be dragged into this?” Seungmin mumbled, walking away from the silliness and effectively breaking Hyunjin’s protective barrier in the meantime.

”Ha!” Felix accidentally sounded, the soreness following his mistake significantly stronger due to how unexpected it was.

”Hyung, are you okay?” Jeongin incquired worriedly, Hyunjin rushing out from behind him to look over the younger.

”Does it hurt a lot?” He asked, noticing the way Felix rubbed at his neck with a painful grimace, the younger still shaking his head nonetheless. “Yah, I can tell it does so don’t try and hide it. Come on, let’s sit down for a second and get you some water.”

As Hyunjin walked away to retrieve his water bottle, Felix huffed in frustration. Despite knowing that his members were happy to help (heck, they were the ones that offered) he couldn’t help but feel like a nuisance. Of course he had to be the one to hold everyone back during comeback preparation, ruining what little time they had to destress by letting his stupid vocal chords get in the way.

”I know that look Felix. Don’t even think for a moment that you’re bothering me. Or anyone else for that matter. We just want to see you get better.” Hyunjin had returned with Changbin trailing behind him, agreeing as he tossed the bottle to Felix. 

“Really it’s no trouble. We’re happy to help.” The shorter rapper slid down next to Felix on the floor and slung an arm around the Australian’s shoulders, ruffling his hair in the process. 

Felix blushed at their kindness, a shy smile gracing his face.

”Actually,” Seungmin piped up from across the room, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I wouldn’t mind it if you lost your voice more often. I can finally get some peace and quiet now that you’re not encouraging Jisung and Hyunjin to be so weird-”

The boy was cut off by a sharp slap to the back of his head by Chan as Jeongin tried stifling his laughter. 

“Watch it dandy boy.” The leader warned, Jeongin now giggling hysterically at the situation playing out in front of him, Seungmin pouting. 

Felix watched his members interact, appreciative that everything was normal despite his predicament. 

“You know,” Changbin began, leaning over and whispering in his ear. “Seungmin was right. You think you could lose your voice more often?”

Felix made sure to cough in his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had such a sucky (and overly stressful) week, so seeing all of your comments and how understanding everyone was really made my day. You guys are seriously the sweetest, so just keep doing what you’re doing and being the amazing people that you are :) 
> 
> Anywho, as always, requests and kudos are greatly appreciated.
> 
> ~StarlightArmy28 ^_^


	6. Bump in the road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Can I request a chapter with Chanlix please? They were dating and got into a heated argument, and Chan said something that hurts Felix. Maybe angst with a happy ending?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wonderful request was brought to you by @707's.
> 
> This took me longer than I thought it would because I love Chanlix so much and just wanted our boys to have a happy ending >.<
> 
> I do hope that this longer chapter makes up for the wait though!
> 
> Enjoy!

_2:00am_   


Felix's phone clock blinked, the numbers reminding him just how tired he was.

As the group's comeback loomed nearer, stress levels were through the roof, each member working on whatever they felt they could improve on until the early hours of the morning.

Felix sighed, rubbing his eyes and running a hand through his disheveled hair. He stared down at the pile of papers littered across the desk in the practice room he claimed, the Korean becoming blurred as he tried to continue studying.

 _I should probably get Chan._ Felix decided, realizing his attempts at deciphering another language were by this point, futile. Of course, the same could be said for his new plan of retrieving his sleep deprived, workaholic boyfriend and bringing him back to the dorm for some much needed rest.  


Lately, they hadn't gotten to spend much time together outside of rehearsals, the older keeping his distance so he "wouldn't hurt Felix's feelings", knowing that the moment he threw himself into his work, his filter and better judgement would fly straight out of the window.

In the current situation, however, Felix ignored these warnings. Chan's 'work' was getting out of hand lately, and at the rate he was going now, Felix was worried that his boyfriend was at risk of collapsing, his body being overwhelmed by the immense amount of pressure he was putting onto it by not sleeping, eating, or carrying out the general human actions necessary for survival.

"Chan-hyung?" He whispered as ventured into the older's studio he had holed himself up in, slightly surprised that the door was even unlocked.

Bathed in the dim lighting of the room, Chan was bent over his desk, dark circles illuminated by his computer screen and hand scribbling furiously across countless papers covered in notes and lyrics. He was oblivious to Felix's presence, eyes glued to the task in front of him and mind racing to a million different places.

"Channie?" The younger boy tried again, hoping that by dropping honorifics he would gain some kind of reaction, but to no avail as Chan barely blinked. "Chris?"

 _What, does he not understand english now?_ Felix wondered to himself amusedly, yet slightly concerned as he observed yet another lack of response.  


Finally, against his best interests, the younger Australian decided that he would take his chances and initiate some kind of skin contact, knowing fully well that this would disturb the leader's thought process.

"Sorry about this, but you leave me no choice." He apologized in advance, inching forward and placing a hand on his boyfriend's arm, giving it a light squeeze.

Now, to anyone else, this action would have been seen as very menial, and definitely not one to garner a reaction as dramatic as the one Chan provided Felix with.

"What the-" The older boy startled, flinching hard and making a long, ugly line across his paper. "Felix? What are you doing in here?"

"It's late Channie-hyung. I came to get you so we can head back to the dorm together." Felix took in Chan's expression, somewhat taken aback by the clear frustration and annoyance present in his boyfriend's eyes. "I know you don't want to, but it would be best if you wrap it up for the night. There's no use in continuing when you're obviously exhausted."

"I'm good Lix, really. You can leave first." Chan immediately shut down the offer, bringing his hand up to Felix's and rubbing his thumb across the back of it before gently removing it from his shoulder.

"But Chan-" Felix began once more, being cut off by the older.

"Listen Felix, I know your intentions are in the right place and I appreciate that you care so much about me, but take the hint. I'm not going back to the dorm until I'm finished, and if that means I have to pull an all-nighter, I will." Chan cautioned, switching to english and continuing so as to soften the blow of his curt words. "Don't let me stop you from leaving though. Go back and get some rest, please?"

Despite Chan's advice, Felix ignored the voice in the back of his head that told him to just let it go, deciding then and there that he wasn't leaving until his boyfriend would relent.

"Sorry Chris, no-can-do. You've been overworking yourself too much recently, and if I have to drag you back to the dorm tonight, don't think I won't. You should really take a break and get some sleep-"

" **Dammit Felix** , why won't you just listen? I know you struggle with Korean, but I at least expected you to understand your native language." At Chan's outburst, Felix's heart dropped, a lump in his throat forming at the insult that targeted his insecurities. "If you're not going back to the dorms, then go and make yourself useful by working on something for the comeback. Goodness knows you need it more than the rest of us."

By this point, Felix felt the warm tears staining his cheeks, eyes wide and body trembling at as the words sunk in. Chan seemed to comprehend what he had just said directly after the insult had passed his lips. He opened his mouth as if to say something more, only to close it once again.

"Felix I-" Chan began as he finally found the words to say, but was abruptly interrupted by the crying boy in front of him.

"No hyung, I understand. I'll leave you alone since I'm obviously bothering you." Felix's initial sorrow had been replaced by resentment at the betrayal of trust, his mind working quicker than he could process as the next sentences flew out of his mouth. "Better yet, I'll leave you alone for the rest of this comeback so as not to drag you down any further. Who knows, maybe you'll be able to get with Woojin now that you're single. I see the way you've looked at him, and his talent far surpasses mine, so it'll practically be a match made in heaven. Goodnight Christopher, I hope you finish whatever was more important than your health and our relationship."

And with that, Felix hastily turned on his heel, slamming the door to the studio as he left, leaving Chan to blankly stare at his retreating form and all he had just lost.

_What have I done?_   


* * *

__

_What have I done?_ Felix thought to himself as entered the dance studio, sliding against the mirror with his head in his hands.

He was having trouble fathoming all that had just occurred. Why had he broken up with him over something so small? And, oh Gods, why had he brought Woojin into it? The vocalist was nothing but kind to him, and the fact that he had dragged his name into the middle of the conflict made him feel worse than he already did.

Part of him was telling him that he was justified in his actions, coming to the conclusion that Chan needed to face the consequences of breaching his trust and had to learn that Felix wouldn't associate with those who made him feel frail. But Felix had fallen deeply in love with the leader the moment he laid eyes on him, and the part that hated himself for ruining the best thing that ever happened to him far outweighed his more rational side of thinking.

"Oh my Gods, what have I done?" Felix mumbled miserably, feeling his breathing picking up as he attempted to hold back a sob.

Not only was he dealing with his recent break up, but all of the insecurities that Chan had triggered were now resurfacing into a monster of old feelings of worthlessness and incompetence that hit him full force. His hands shook as he brought them away from his face, knees coming up to his chest and arms now encircling them. His chest heaved in discomfort as his breaths turned short and erratic, his eyes squeezing shut as more tears pooled down his cheeks.

_Why can't you be good enough? Chan was right, you contribute nothing and are untalented. You shouldn't have been brought back from your elimination. You aren't even worth being loved by someone you care about, so why feel sorry for yourself? It's all your fault-_   


"Fe-"

_Huh?_   


"Fel-"

_Whose voice was that?_   


"-lm down."

_What's happening?_   


"Are you with me-"

_Sungie?_   


"That's it Lix, breathe with me buddy. In and out, that's it, you're doing great."

Felix squinted at the sudden light that assaulted his adjusting eyes, feeling soft hands card through his hair as his head was settled comfortably in Jisung's lap.

 _When did I get into this position?_ He wondered hazily, filling his lungs with air as he was brought back to reality.  


"Felix?" Han grabbed his attention, his voice laced with concern. "Are you okay?"

Felix only nodded as he felt how dry his throat had become, grateful for the water bottle quickly brought to his lips by an ever perceptive Jisung.

"Should I get Chan?"

The sudden question had Felix choking on the water, spluttering a hurried, "No!" through coughs.

Jisung's brows furrowed as he brought the young Australian into a sitting position, choosing not to mention the strange reaction as his first priority was ensuring the mental stability of his friend.

"Are you sure you're alright? What brought on that panic attack?" Jisung questioned, eyes searching Felix's face in unease.

The boy's eyes seemed to stare straight through the older rapper as he shook his head to clear the fog that was clouding his thinking. 

"I-" He started, but stopped before he could speak any further, electing to avoid the topic for now and changing the subject. "It's nothing. What are you doing here?"

"It didn't seem like 'nothing'." Jisung stated matter-of-factly, but chose not to push the boy in fear of bringing on another attack. "I left my phone here and only realized it halfway back to the dorm, so I came back to get it and hopefully you and Chan-hyung along with it. Everyone else is practically passed out in their rooms, so I figured you two should be there as well."

"Don't bother with Chan." Felix advised darkly, the other boy put off by the lack of honorifics when speaking about the older.

 _What exactly happened between them?_ Jisung thought, utterly confused by the whole situation.   


"Come on then, let's go back to the dorm to get some rest. You're sleeping in my bed tonight." Jisung added as an afterthought, grabbing Felix's hand and helping him up.

He noticed how the boy didn't let go of his hand after he was on his feet, head down as he pressed himself against his shoulder. Jisung intertwined their fingers instead of pulling away and smiled at him, hoping that his support and understanding would offer a small sense of comfort to the distressed boy.

However, he promised himself that he would get to the bottom of whatever was going on.

* * *

"Felix, do something, anything. Emotion!" The staff member mouthed at the boy behind the camera the group was using to record their Vlive. 

A few days had passed since the argument between Chan and Felix, the ex-couple being surrounded by an awkward tension that was becoming noticeable, even to their fans. Currently, Felix was seated between Chan and Hyunjin on the couch the boys were sharing, his actions (or lack thereof) beginning to garner the attention of the STAYs watching the live.

**_Is Felix oppa alright? He seems really quiet._ **

**_Felix we love you! Please don't be sad._ **

**_What's wrong Yongbokie?_ **

**_Felix seems out of it today. He should get some rest._ **

The staff and members alike had taken note of these new comments as they urged Felix to reassure the fans that he was doing well, and from there, the young Australian forced himself to mess around with the others, making sure to avoid any contact with Chan. After this minor obstacle, the rest of the live went well, and soon enough they said goodbye to their fans, wrapping up the recording and preparing to go home for the day.

"I'm so glad we have a break! It finally gives me a chance to demolish Seungmin-hyung in the game we've been playing." The maknae squealed, smiling devilishly at the group's dandy boy who scoffed in response.

"In your dreams." 

"Just try to keep it down while you're at it so I can pass out for the next 10 hours." Minho yawned, a sentiment which Changbin agreed with.

"Hey Lix, do you want to spend some time with Jisungie and I when we get back to the dorm?" Hyunjin offered the younger boy who seemed lost in his thoughts, slipping his hand into the Australian's and flashing a sweet smile.

Felix gave a halfhearted grin in response and nodded his head, chuckling a bit as Jisung slung his arm around his shoulders, only to be pushed off by an indignant Hyunjin.

Chan watched the interactions, heart full yet empty at the same time. He sighed, gathering his things to leave, but was caught on the arm by the oldest before he could make his way out the door.

"We need to talk."

* * *

(A.N. Heads up, this part is going to be going between Chan/Jisung's conversation and Felix/Woojin's conversation, sorry if it gets confusing!)

Felix burrowed himself under his covers further, limbs moving restlessly as he failed to get comfortable. Woojin and Chan had stayed behind after the Vlive for some reason, and it made the boy anxious to say the least. Sure, Jisung and Hyunjin did their best to cheer him up, but he couldn't keep his mind from wandering to the worst case scenario, the thought that Chan really was going to move on with Woojin becoming a constant presence.

"I'm going to bed early." He had told the others after a while, escaping to his room where Minho was already in a deep sleep to try and sort his concerns out.

This proved futile, however, as he turned for what seemed the umpteenth time, an aggravated huff leaving his mouth.

"Felix?" A soft voice sounded from outside the room, the door opening slowly to reveal Woojin.

"Hyung? What is it?" The boy questioned quietly from under his comforter.

\-----

In a different part of the dorm, Jisung had just (quite literally) cornered a shocked Chan, the older stumbling back as the squirrel ambushed him.

"Chan hyung, can we talk?" Jisung inquired with a serious tone that contrasted from his previous actions.

"Jisungie? What's wrong?" The leader obliged, concern beginning to creep into the front of his mind.

"It's about you and Felix."

\-----

"It's about you and Chan." Woojin began cautiously from his place at the foot of Felix's bed.

Felix sighed, heart dropping as he could only assume what was to follow. Chan probably didn't need him anymore after his outburst and overreaction, so he was having Woojin come in to tell him that the two of them are now together and-

"Woah, Lix-ah, calm down. Let me explain before you get too riled up."

\-----

"He's the literal light of my life and I screwed it up Sungie." Chan vented, head in his hands and voice thick with unshed tears. "Felix doesn't need someone like me, I-"

"Woah, Channie-hyung, keep your cool. Yeah, you messed up, but let me help you before you decide that there's no fixing what happened." Jisung attempted to calm the leader. "Relationships are going to hit a few bumps in the road, but you've got to have the courage to overcome these obstacles and step forward to admit you made a mistake."

\-----

"I know you feel like what you did was irreversible, but it's not. You know Chan will apologize, he's too softhearted to not. The only reason he hasn't yet is because he's afraid that you meant what you said." Woojin paused, searching Felix's eyes. "Which I'm assuming you didn't."

The boy shook his head, a blush rising to his cheeks at the other's perception.

"So," Felix stopped momentarily, breathing deeply before beginning again, "Chan isn't mad at me?"

\-----

"So Felix isn't upset with me?" Chan queried after Jisung explained what had been going on in the other's head.

Unbeknownst to the leader, the two had already had a heart-to-heart (much like Woojin and Chan did) about the whole situation. 

"No, he's not. If anything, he's more upset with himself." Jisung supplied, sighing as he continued. "With all-due respect though, you were in the wrong, so it'd be best if you apologized. After that, it's up to Felix whether he forgives you or not."

\-----

"Once he apologizes, it's up to you to decide whether you accept it or not." Woojin advised, but smiled warmly nonetheless. "I trust you to know what you feel is best."

* * *

Later that night, after everyone had retired to their beds, Chan silently exited his shared room, soft steps making their way to the living room where he could hear the faint buzz that accompanied the mellow light of the muted TV. He averted his gaze towards the couch where a small figure had curled itself up under a rather large, plush blanket, tired eyes watching the people move on the screen in front of him.

"Felix?" Chan called gently, the younger Australian suddenly turning his head towards the older, flinching in surprise at the newcomer. "I thought you had gone to bed early?"

Chan was worried to say the least. The boy looked exhausted, yet seemed restless and unable to succumb to the sleep he desperately needed. The leader couldn't help but feel that it was his fault for being so unreasonable, his rash actions causing the distress of his sunshine.

"I, uh, I couldn't sleep." He mumbled awkwardly, eyes focused on his hands as they played with a few loose strings that were hanging off the corner of the blanket that surrounded him.

Chan exhaled in both relief and heartache as he heard Felix speak directly to him for the first time in days, his heart flooding with pent up emotions.

"Lixie?" Felix's breath hitched at the familiar petname, his heart skipping a beat and eyes welling up with tears at the way it was spoken with such affection and warmth. "I am unbelievably sorry for what I said to you the other night. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, and the fact that I hurt you has pained me to no end. I love you more than you could ever imagine, and even if you don't forgive me, I'll always understand your decision no matter what, and never stop caring for you."

The words tumbled out of Chan's mouth before he could take a breath, the genuine look in his eyes revealing that he truly meant what he said. Felix's mind spun at the apology, the tears that poured down his face now appearing in greater swells as relief flooded his shaking figure.

"Hyung," He sniffled, words getting caught by his quiet crying, "I'm so sorry for causing this in the first place. There's no need f-for you to apologize. I'm just so s-sorry."

Chan rushed to his boyfriend, holding the sobbing boy in his arms and rubbing his back comfortingly. 

"No Felix, I do need to apologize. Your actions were a justified response to the terrible and  **untrue** things I said. You mean the world to me and I love you so, so much." Chan spoke into Felix's ear, hushing the boy as he cried. "I must be a pretty horrible boyfriend if I've caused you to cry this much."

Felix chuckled at the older's flimsy attempts to lighten the mood, but appreciated it regardless as he calmed down, his crying eventually ceasing. Before he could retort, however, the two were interrupted by rather aggressive whispering and hushed movement coming from the hallway.

"Innie? Seungminnie? Hyunjin-hyung?" Felix questioned in confusion as he adjusted his eyes to make out the three figures that were obviously spying on them.

Jeongin was practically squealing like a child (which he was) while Seungmin sported a look of exasperation mixed with relief. Hyunjin, on the other hand, appeared to be unamused.

"Get a room and kiss already." He recommended rather bluntly, his statement earning him a swift slap to the back of the head by a very tired (and very annoyed) Minho who had magically appeared out of nowhere.

The dancer dragged Hyunjin away, the two youngest trailing sheepishly behind them. After hearing the sound of the doors shutting as everyone went to bed, Chan and Felix laughed, the hilarity only growing as they heard a muffled exclamation from Jisung about how he "wasn't the weird, nosy one this time."

Felix wiped the tears that resulted from laughing so much away from his eyes, turning back to find Chan gazing at him with such tenderness that he couldn't help but lean in to give him a kiss.

The two parted, Chan pulling Felix into his warm chest, head nuzzling into his hair.

"I love you Lixie."

"I love you too."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! 
> 
> It has been a lot longer than I would've liked, but I had to wrap some things up and faced some decently annoying technical difficulties, so I've been pretty busy. I did see everyone's comments though in response to last chapter's end note, and I'm being for real when I say that you guys are literally the coolest, sweetest people I have ever written for! Seriously, I love each and every one of you for your encouraging words (I'm cringing at my sappiness too, I know).
> 
> Anywho, I'd love to see more comments and as always appreciate any requests and kudos.
> 
> ~StarlightArmy28 ^_^


	7. It's just a stomachache (Right?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Can you write sick Felix, but he doesn't want to tell any members so he keeps it to himself and he only gets worse? Basically just with all the members and Woojin doting on him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long awaited request by @thefelixlee.
> 
> I apologize for the wait, but me being a perfectionist has kept this in the works longer than I had anticipated.
> 
> I hope that you like what I've come up with!
> 
> Enjoy!

The first thing Felix noticed amiss that fateful morning as he was awakened by a drowsy Minho practically falling out of bed, was the silence that greeted him.

It wasn’t that the dorm was silent, because trust Felix when he says that there is plenty of chaos that occurs at 6am with eight other boys bustling around, half asleep and seemingly incapable of possessing the proper motor skills necessary to get around without falling over anything (or anyone) that blocked their path, rather, his stomach’s usual rumble was unexpectedly absent.

Unlike some of the other members, the young Australian practically lived and breathed for breakfast, heck, it was probably one of the top three in the list of “Reasons for Lee Felix to get out of bed every morning”. Today, however, was unusual as the mere thought of food sent an uncomfortable wave through his abdomen.

_Slightly ominous, but ok._ Felix mused to himself, sitting up and rubbing his tired eyes. _It’s probably just nerves for today’s showcase though._

Which, in his defense, was a valid reason for his missing appetite as it often occurred whenever they were presenting something new for their fans. That afternoon was no exception as it would be the first time performing their recent song, “Side Effects”, in front of an audience.

“Felix, are you awake?” Changbin called from somewhere in the dorm, no doubt after being instructed by Chan to do so (of course, the leader probably meant for the rapper to physically check on the other boy, but he didn’t specify, so who’s to say). “If you are, wake up the maknae, will you?”

“Alright hyung.” Felix called back, throwing off his covers and swinging his legs over the side of his bed, stretching his stiff joints as he stood up. 

_That doesn’t feel too good._ Felix realized as his stomach shifted uneasily, a small burp escaping his mouth. _It’s probably nothing though._

After waking a cuddly Jeongin, Felix got dressed and ready for the day, making his way into the living room as it neared the time they were meant to leave.

“Have you already had breakfast Lix?” Jisung questioned from the kitchen, his squirrel-like cheeks puffing out with the apple he was currently munching on. 

“Nah, I’m not hungry.” He replied with a small shake of his head, an answer that his best friend was not expecting.

“Are you feeling okay Felix?” Woojin asked, a hint of concern lacing his tone as he overheard the exchange, just as disconcerted by the boy skipping his favorite meal.

"Yeah, I’m fine hyung. It’s just nerves.” His answer seemed to put the eldest somewhat at ease, an encouraging smile gracing his soft features.

“There’s no need to worry Lixie, you’ll do great today.” Woojin assured as he took another bite out of his granola bar (an action which Felix found strangely nauseating).

“Alright kids, it’s time to head out! Our lovely manager is outside waiting for us.” Chan announced, way too peppy for 7 in the morning.

Felix chuckled at the other members as they mocked the leader for referring to them as his kids, this time ignoring the ache that bubbled at the pit of his stomach.

* * *

_Ugh._ Felix grimaced slightly, placing a hand on his stomach gingerly as it turned with every bump the van hit.

The first few minutes of the ride were fine, and Felix had been laughing with the others as they talked and joked cheerfully. Once the conversation lulled, however, the young Australian began to feel ill. The same pain in his abdomen that he awoke to that morning was nagging at his insides, his skin turning pale and clammy as he anxiously wondered if he was going to throw up.

_No, just calm down Felix. You’ll only make it worse by worrying._ He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, leaning his head against the cool window.

Despite how sick he was currently feeling, Felix had already made the decision not to alert the members to his predicament for fear of ruining the performance. They had worked so hard leading up to this point, and he wasn’t about to make it all go to waste just because of some stupid stomachache.

_I’ll pretend that I’m asleep, so if I look weird, they’ll probably think that it’s just a nightmare or something._ Felix concluded, shutting his eyes and focusing on the temperature difference between his heated skin and the window, hoping that the distraction would ease his twisting stomach.

* * *

“Rise and shine Lixie, we’ve got a performance to do!” Hyunjin’s sweet voice startled Felix who couldn’t even remember when he dozed off.

He stifled a yawn, grateful for the visual as he waited for him outside the van, locking arms while they walked to the building where the event was held. 

“Are you alright?” Hyunjin casually asked, side-eyeing the pale boy next to him whose skin seemed to be unusually warm.

Felix nodded and smiled, hoping that it was convincing enough for his hyung to let it go. Of course, his answer wasn’t a total lie as he did feel better now that he was out of the van.

_I do still feel off though._ Felix frowned, but shook it off once they entered the building, unaware of the fact that Hyunjin was a bit more attentive and clingy than usual.

Everything after that was a blur of nervous excitement as Stray Kids performed “Side Effects”, the enthusiasm of the audience buzzing through the boys long after they had wrapped up on stage.

“That was awesome boys!” Chan praised, ruffling Jeongin’s hair and patting Seungmin on the back.

“Did you see the crowd!” Jisung chattered on, practically bouncing off the walls.

Even the calm and collected Minho had a bright smile on his face, incapable of standing still as the adrenaline gave him an energy boost.

The only person who didn’t seem to be taking part in the cheerfulness was Felix, who at some point in the middle of the performance began to feel nauseous once again, although this time it was unrelenting and accompanied by a lightheadedness that made him fear he would pass out on stage. Luckily, he had made it through purely out of the stubbornness not to screw up something they had spent so long preparing for.

_At least it’s over now._ Felix thought in relief, the idea of a warm bed giving him a moment’s peace from the pain. 

Unfortunately, that moment was ripped away as quickly as it appeared as the manager declared that they were going to a celebratory lunch for all the handwork they had put into their recent activities.

“Isn’t this great Felix?!” Jisung joined his friend, his excitement having yet to wear off completely.

“Yeah!” Felix agreed with as much joyfulness as he could muster, making sure that the other rapper had turned his attention elsewhere before letting out a deep breath and steadying himself against the wall.

_When I woke up this morning, I wasn’t expecting to be tossed into an impromptu game of ‘How long can I hide my discomfort from 8 of the people I trust most in this world’, but look where we are now._ Felix thought bitterly, biting his lip as he fought to suppress the sudden urge to puke.

Unbeknownst to the young Aussie, however, was that the so called ‘game’ was approaching its finish, and that he would come out less than victorious.

* * *

To say that the van ride to the restaurant was far more torturous than the one to the event would be an understatement.

Hyunjin and Changbin had decided to cage him in-between them, leaving him no choice but to sit dazedly in the middle. Any other time, Felix would have enjoyed the attention from his hyungs, but in those moments, he had other things to worry about, such as using all of his willpower to prevent himself from throwing up on them. (He had failed to notice the worried looks the two shared, and was even more oblivious to the gentle hand that rubbed his back and fingers that intertwined with his own.)

Once they had arrived, he was only granted a second of reprieve before he felt the familiar impending feeling that he was going to lose his lunch from the previous day.

“Come on everyone, lunch is on me!” Their manager announced as they entered the restaurant, the boys cheering at their good fortune.

_Good fortune my ass._ Felix thought bitterly as he discreetly placed a hand atop his abdomen, beginning to panic slightly as he realized what his body was telling him. _I don’t think I can last that long. I’m going to be sick_ ** _now_** _._

As everyone was being seated, Felix excused himself to the bathroom, hurriedly asking the nearest waiter where it was located and practically jogging to the designated area. He tumbled into the room (which was luckily an individual stall) and lurched forward right as he reached the toilet, heaving into the water, the bile stinging his throat. 

_Of all places, why here?_ Felix groaned, cursing his misfortune as he focused on the task of stopping himself from laying against the cool tile floor, knowing that it was most likely teeming with bacteria from the strangers that walked across it each day.

In the haze of the situation, the Aussie failed to notice the entrance of two new bodies, only just now realizing that he forgot to lock the door.

“Felix!” A familiar voice called out in concern, a hand rubbing his back as he positioned himself over the toilet, getting that nagging feeling in his gut once more. 

_Come on Felix, not in front of hyungs._ He willed himself to hold it in, but his efforts were in vain, a few tears slipping when he dry heaved in the presence of who he now recognized as Chan and Woojin. 

Despite his embarrassment, however, the other two didn’t seem to mind, Woojin patting his back soothingly and wiping his tears as Chan placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature.

“You’re burning up baby.” Chan said, giving the oldest a serious look. “We need to get him out of here.”

The mere thought of jostling his stomach sent him forward for the third time, and he managed to let out a pathetic “Please no” between coughs.

“Sorry Lixie, but we need to get you back to the dorms where you can be comfortable. Doesn’t your warm bed sound nice?” Chan coaxed, giving Woojin a nod that told him what he was about to do.

“Come on Lix, let’s get you out of here. I don’t think you’d like to be carried out of the restaurant, so do you think you can get up for me? I’ll be right by your side the entire time.” Woojin’s gentle voice calmed the youngest Aussie, a strong pair of arms locking themselves under his own in order to aid in hoisting him off the floor. “That’s it, you’re doing great.”

As the bunch made their way out of the bathroom and back to the table where everyone was waiting, one look at the sickly boy had the others immediately vacating their seats, moving quickly to the exit and wasting no time in piling into the vans. 

This time, Felix was placed next to a window where he could rest his head and shut his eyes, trying his hardest to ignore his cramping stomach. Minho was seated next to him, his calming presence similar to that of Woojin’s, settling Felix’s nerves.

“Will you be okay until we make it back to the dorm?” He spoke quietly, squeezing the boy’s knee to reassure him that whatever his answer was, the dancer wouldn’t mind.

Felix gave an almost imperceptible nod as his stomach rolled, hand reaching weakly to find Minho’s own in hopes of providing him with a distraction, the older remaining attentive the rest of the ride back to the dorm.

* * *

“It’s okay hyung, you’re okay.” Jeongin’s soft voice sounded behind Felix as he collapsed onto the chilled tile floor of the bathroom, the younger crouching down next to him and bringing his head into his lap.

Felix weakly protested this action, not wanting to risk getting sick on the maknae, but was immediately hushed by the youngest member as he brushed the sweaty fringe away from the Australian’s forehead.

“You’re burning up.” He muttered, taking a damp washcloth to cool his skin as the older mumbled incoherently in what seemed to be English.

“How’s he doing?” Seungmin and Jisung appeared at the doorway, peering in on the two in concern.

“He stopped being sick at least, but I think he’s mumbling in English now and I can’t make out what he’s saying.” Jeongin confessed quietly, ashamed that he couldn’t do more to help Felix.

“Yah, maknae.” Jisung called, successfully gaining the boy’s attention. “You’ve done plenty already, a language barrier isn’t going to change that fact, so don’t beat yourself up over it.”

“Bed?” Seungmin interrupted, studying the movement of Felix’s lips intently, attempting to reciprocate what he was seeing. “I think he’s saying bed.”

Jisung leaned in to listen, his eyes brightening slightly.

“You’re right Minnie, he’s saying that he wants to go to bed. Your English practice is really paying off! I’m sure Felix would be proud if he wasn’t in such a daze.”

Seungmin tried to mask a smile as he blushed at the praise, moving to assist the other two in getting Felix up and leading him to his room. Once they were able to drag the practically limp boy to his bed, Seungmin grabbed a pair of sweatpants and one of his own hoodies to dress Felix in, knowing that the older boy often found comfort in the familiar scent of his member’s clothing. 

“Let’s get you changed out of those clothes into something more comfortable, yeah?”Jisung prompted, the gentleness in his voice a vast contrast to his normally bubbly personality. “You might be jostled a little bit, so just let us know if you need us to stop.” 

By that point, however, Felix was balancing on the edge of delirium and unconsciousness, barely registering the fact that he was now in bed, no longer in his performance attire, and instead in an oversized hoodie that strangely smelled of Seungmin (not that he was complaining about this new information though). He vaguely made out a voice that was probably Jisung’s, or Jeongin’s, or- well, he couldn’t be sure. Whoever it was, they were speaking low, the reverberations of their soothing words lulling Felix into a restless, yet welcomed sleep.

“I think he’s completely out.” Changbin (who had just entered the room) observed, reaching forward to place a hand on Felix’s forehead, letting out a sigh in relief after noting that he was no longer burning up.

“It’s for the best.” Jeongin said quietly, teeth gnawing at his lower lip. “I just don’t understand why he wouldn’t have told us sooner about feeling so sick.”

“Because he’s Felix.” A new voice responded, Woojin making his way into the room. “He most likely didn’t want to miss the performance and ruin everyone’s excitement.”

“But he wouldn’t have! His health is more important.” Jisung exclaimed, earning a hurried _Shh_ from Seungmin who eyed Felix to make sure the older hadn’t woken up.

“I know that, but it’s difficult for Felix to accept it with how hard he is on himself.” Woojin explained knowingly. “On a separate note, Chan ordered takeout and wants you four to eat.”

“But hyung-”

Changbin began, only to be immediately interrupted by the eldest.

“No buts. Felix won’t get worse just because you eat lunch. Besides, I already ate so I’ll be here to take care of him. Sound good?”

He was met with four disgruntled mumbles in reply as the others filed out one by one, sending small glances towards the sick Aussie as they left.

_What am I going to do with them._ Woojin thought to himself, a small smile gracing his soft features.

“H-hyung?” Felix’s deep voice rattled out, squinting his eyes in an attempt to discern which member was in front of him.

“Better yet, what am I going to do with you?” The eldest mused, chuckling slightly as a slurred _Ah, so it’s Woojinnie_ passed Felix’s lips. “You should go back to sleep, you need to rest.”

The younger whined, a small hand weakly reaching for Woojin as he struggled to keep his eyes open. In return, the eldest moved to take the spot on the bed next to Felix, sitting up with his back against the wall as he carded his hands through the soft, blonde locks of the tired boy next to him. 

“I’m sorry for ruining everything.” Felix apologized faintly, the shame of the past few hours catching up with him.

“Stop that Felix, you didn’t ruin anything and you have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I should apologize for not being more attentive to you when I knew something was wrong.” Woojin scolded gently, taking the younger’s hand and running a thumb across his palm. “Next time though, please let us know when you aren’t feeling well. Your health is what matters most to us and the fans.”

“I will.” The boy agreed, head moving to burrow into Woojin’s side. “What about everyone else?"

“They’re all eating right now, but not without worrying about you, so let’s focus on getting better, yeah? Let me know if you start to feel sick again, okay?” He felt Felix nod from beside him. “I’m not going anywhere, so you can go back to sleep.”

“Promise?” Felix’s voice was barely a whisper as his eyelids drifted shut, his breath steadying.

“I promise.” Woojin replied, his quiet reassurance settling the younger into a comfortable sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well would you look at that, I've been away for a while haven't I? (Who knew university could be so time consuming) Anywho, I promise I haven't dropped this fic and all of your requests! And thank you to everyone for sticking with me despite my terrible update schedule <3
> 
> Also, I would like to address something. The recent events regarding Woojin will not change anything, and he will still actively be apart of these stories (unless you request otherwise). To me, they'll always be Nine or none.
> 
> As always, your comments and kudos are greatly appreciated and never fail to brighten my day :)
> 
> ~StarlightArmy28 ^_^


End file.
